OTA & MONARCH Tractors at Newark Show

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Tom Ranyard a keen OTA and Monarch tractor owner has been putting together a display of these tractors at the Newark Show
It has not been widely advertised apart from one small write up in T&M magazine

It is 60 years since production of the Singer Monarch ceased on the takeover of the Singer Motor Co by the Rootes Group
Tom is hoping to have examples of the various models of OTA and Monarch Tractors produced by OAK Tree Appliances and the Singer Motor Co
These tractors can be found all over the world from Finland in the north to New Zealand in the south and one wonders what would have developed if OAK Tree Appliances with orders for 100 tractors a week and production restricted by material licenses to 10 a week were guided by the Board of Trade to go in with Singer who had access to materials but were only interested in the tractor as a source of income to fund development of new car models and were a failing company.
I have recently acquired some Singer archive material on the tractors and it shows how many poor decisions were made.

[trusty220]

That always seems to be the case when “Government Officials” get involved in running otherwise profitable companies. In most cases their poor grasp of the marketplace is shown up in their atrocious decision making, and using this case as an example you can see where it ultimately leads.

Yet another one of their decisions was to abandon all research and development on manned fighter aircraft after the war on the assumption that we could defend ourselves adequately with missiles. Luckily the English Electric Lightning was too far advanced in development to scrap it so it went ahead and proved to be a world-beater of it’s time.

How many more projects have been stifled before they could come to fruition? TSR2 was another…..I could go on!

It will be good to see a collection of OTA and Singer tractors in one place again. I think their popularity is becoming stronger, and it will only increase if we take them to shows to publicise their story. Roll on November!

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Good Display of OTA and Singer Monarch tractors with the various models represented
Some photographs attached

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A few more now resized

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a few more

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[trusty220]

It certainly shows how you could build up a nice little collection featuring just one make, and it also shows what a turbulent history these tractors had in their time.

What time span does this collection represent? My best guess is something around ten years’ worth of production by OTA and Singer combined, but then I’m no expert on them.

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I think eight different owners brought either OTA or Monarch tractors to the show. You do not see many OTA or Monarch tractors out on the rally scene, but speaking to owners and visitors it would appear that some have up to ten OTA and Monarch tractors in various states of repair at home.
The cast front OTA rowcrop came onto the market in 1948 with the yellow/red colour scheme they are easily recognised by the cast makers plate bolted to the chassis. On cost grounds Ota changed to a Co-op Blue colour scheme on the later MK1 cast front models with a brass makers plate on the dash board
Again on cost grounds OTA introduced the MK2 sheet metal front model which incorporated a few other changes in late 1951
The four wheel OTA Monarch (MK3)was introduced at the 1951 Smithfield Show and was produced by OTA until March 1953 when design rights were acquired by the Singer Motor Co who launched the Singer Monarch tractor.
No three wheel rowcrop tractors were produced after this date, Oak Tree Appliances was wound up as a company and remaining unsold rowcrop tractors and spares were sold to a Coventry company.
Singer Motors carried out some improvement works and introduced the Singer Monarch (MK4) but only 17 were manufactured before production ceased when the financially ailing Singer Motor Co was taken over by the Rootes Group .
So production of the OTA and Monarch tractors was over a eight year period, survivors can be found from Finland in the north to New Zealand in the south, who knows what could have developed if circumstances and different decisions had been made

[trusty220]

Thanks for that brief history, Joe. I was nearly right with my ten year guess!

I really must buy your book and read up on the OTA/Singer history.

[Author]

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